“I had just finished writing this really crappy science fiction novel and I thought, ‘Oh, this is so not working,” Arcos said. “I asked myself, ‘What do I really love to read?’ Young adult literature has been something I followed for years and as a teacher I was always keeping up with what was current to be able to recommend to students.”

Now, it’s Arcos’ tale that’s current, and naturally, that story begins where her love for writing was first nurtured: Temecula.

The city is unnamed in her book, although she said Temecula is immediately identifiable to anyone who lives in Southwest County as Arcos begins her story on the route along Interstate 15 to San Diego. In fact, several of the flashbacks take place in Temecula as her protagonist, Rachel, searches for her missing brother in the book, which was one of five finalists for the national award.

“It’s crazy,” said Arcos, who now is working on a second book, also in young adult literature. “I was absolutely shocked, and every step along the way was amazing. Just getting an agent was exciting and selling the book to a major publisher was a dream come true.

“And then getting nominated, I still can’t believe that happened. It’s pretty crazy for a debut to get that kind of recognition.”